The pantograph was invented in 1879 by Walter Reichel, chief engineer at Siemens & Halske in Germany.[2] A flat slide-pantograph was invented in 1895 at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad[3]
The familiar diamond-shaped roller pantograph was invented by John Q. Brown of the Key System shops for their commuter trains which ran between San Francisco and the East Bay section of the San Francisco Bay Area in California.[4][5] They appear in photographs of the first day of service, 26 October 1903.[6] For many decades thereafter, the same diamond shape was used by electric-rail systems around the world and remains in use by some today.
The pantograph was an improvement on the simple trolley pole, which prevailed up to that time, primarily because the pantograph allows an electric-rail vehicle to travel at much higher speeds without losing contact with the overhead lines.